House of Commons speaker Michael Martin was forced to stand down today following his failure of leadership over the MPs’ expenses scandal. Martin apologised for his role in the expenses affair yesterday afternoon, but following pressure from all sides of the house he was subsequently forced to relinquish his post.

He’s not the first - and won’t be the last - politician, celebrity, sportsman, multi-national forced into a humiliating back-track however, as this lot prove…

Manic Street Preachers While playing Glastonbury’s second stage in 1994, Manic Street Preachers bassist Nick Wire famously slagged off the festival by suggesting that someone should “build a bypass over this sh**hole”. Judging by the venom in Wire’s voice you’d think that the Welsh rockers would be happy never to play Glasto again. And you’d be right… until, of course, they swallowed their pride and cashed the huge cheque offered to headline the main stage in 1999.

Paul Daniels Magician Paul Daniels was so staunchly against Labour winning the 1997 general election that he said he would leave the country if Tony Blair and co got in. His threat fell on deaf ears - or made more people vote Labour - and after Blair had triumphed one newspaper sent a removal van to his house to help him on his way. Suffice to say, he’s still living in Blighty.

Wayne Rooney “Once a Blue, always a Blue,” claimed footballing wonderkid Wayne Rooney on a t-shirt during his early playing days at childhood club Everton. Then he moved to Manchester United. Wonder if he’s still got the T-shirt?

Marks & Spencer Following a Busts 4 Justice group Facebook campaign backed by more than 14,000 consumers, M&S announced last week that it would end differential bra pricing - otherwise known as the ‘t*t tax’. They took out full page ads in all the major newspapers to ‘apologise’ for their unfair treatment of women with bigger breasts.

Bill Clinton On January 26, 1998, President Clinton said the following during a White House press conference: “I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. I'm going to say this again: I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.” On August 17, 1998, President Clinton admitted that he had an “improper physical relationship” with Lewinsky. Enough said.

The Eagles The Eagles break-up in 1980 is noted for being one of the most acrimonious in rock history – the band’s ‘final’ album had the names of at least five lawyers in the credits for example. Such was the messy fall-out that drummer and sometime-vocalist Don Henley would often roll out the line in post-split interviews that the group would get back together "when hell freezes over". Fast-forward 14 years to 1994, and with a money-spinning contract on the table, a thawing not seen since the end of the end of Ice Age occurred when the band’s classic line up reformed for a series of lucrative tours.

Spandau Ballet If the Eagles famously declared that hell would freeze over before they would reform, Spandau singer Tony Hadley took things one stage further when went on record and said: "In our case, hell is frozen and we still wouldn't do it.” Fair enough. But then in April 2009 he made the mother of all back-tracks when - you’ve guessed it! - the flamboyant 1980s pop band announced a reunion tour.

Everton Everton football club were forced into a humiliating climb-down back in 2007 after the club’s official website announced that they had signed Argentinean star Juan Roman Riquelme. The ‘story’ was in fact a piece of website ‘test data’ and Riquelme had not, in-fact, signed for the Toffees at all and was on the verge of a move to Atletico Madrid.

Hanse Cronje The former South African cricket captain was forced to make a hasty back-track after being accused of match-fixing in April 2000. After Indian police claimed they had evidence to suggest that Cronje and other South African cricketers had taken bribes to influence cricket games Cronje was quick to announce that “the allegations are completely without substance”. A few days later, however, he revealed that he had not been “entirely honest” and held his hands up to the charges. He was later banned from playing or coaching cricket for life.

Madonna The Material Girl seemed to have uncharacteristic trouble keeping track of her assets back in December, when she admitted that the figures announced by her publicity people for her divorce pay-out to Guy Ritchie were “misleading and inaccurate”. Initially reported to be in the region of £60million, the discrepancy between the amounts turned out to be a mere £21million.